Monday, November 21, 2011

Last night we had a fabulous vegan "Thanksmas" dinner (which is becoming a yearly tradition) at our friends Sarah and Gordon's lovely house with our 5-couple vegan dinner group.I'll post about the dinner in a day or two, but there was some interest expressed on my Facebook page about the recipe for the dinner rolls I was making, so that's the subject of this blog post.

My contributions to the vegan "Thanksmas" feast-- Orange Cranberry Sauce with Ginger and Rum-Soaked Raisins, Seitan Wellington from my book World Vegan Feast, and the rolls in the background.

I wanted to make a nice fluffy roll, but with some fiber, and I wanted to go the no-knead route because it's so easy and convenient. I couldn't find a suitable recipe in any of the six no-knead bread books that I own, or even online, so I "winged" it. I kept it simple, using a combination of unbleached white flour with wheat bran for added fiber (without cutting down on the "fluffiness"), and using soy milk for most of the liquid, because soy acts as a "dough conditioner", making light, soft breads. (I already know that the no-knead method allows the dough to develop exceptional flavor and gives strength to the gluten the way kneading ordinarily would [see the following posts for more info: 1.), 2.), 3.)].) The hazelnuts add an elegant touch.

Well, it turned out to be a great success (not one left!) and I'm happy to share the recipe with you-- these rolls would be great with just about any holiday dinner.

At least the evening before you wish to serve the rolls, mix the yeast in the warm water in a small cup and set aside for a few minutes. In a medium to large bowl mix the warm soy milk with the dissolved yeast, sugar and vegan butter or oil.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, bran and salt. Dump this into the bowl with the yeast mixture. Stir the soft dough together briefly, using a wooden spoon or a Danish dough whisk. The dough will be loose and "shaggy".

Cover the bowl and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. (You can use a bowl with a snap lid, or use plastic wrap or a clean disposable shower cap to cover the bowl.) After an hour or so, Place the covered bowl in the refrigerator. Leave the dough in the refrigerator until about 2 1/2 to 3 hours before you wish to bake the rolls. You can leave the dough in the refrigerator for about a week, if you wish.

2 1/2 to 3 hours before baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Have ready two round 9-inch cake or pie pans, greased and lined on the bottom with baking parchment. Form the dough into 21 equal-sized round rolls (the balls of dough should be about golf-ball-size) and place a little bit apart in the prepared pans. Place the pans large inside food-safe plastic bags, or cover with damp clean tea towels. Place in a warm spot for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the rolls are fully risen.

Turn the oven to 400°F about 20 minutes before you anticipate the rolls to be fully risen. Before baking, brush the rolls lightly with soy or nut milk and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. Place the pans on racks to cool for 15 minutes or so before serving.

10 comments:

daniela
said...

Hi Bryanna, thanks for the recipe, and I will try it right away, it comes in at the perfect time. I have a question though... Why are the unbaked rolls, in the photo right after the dough, in two colors, green and pink? Is it a matter of lighting in the photo or something else?Thanks, Happy Thanksgiving to you too.Daniela

Save these great prep photos at high res, Bry...you never know! Also love the shot of the buns with my wild mushroom soup in the background...those buns were to die for! A PERFECT compliment...OMG, I have to go make some right now...!

I made these for Thanksgiving dinner, and they were great! I loved being able to mix them up the night before and then pop them in the oven right before our meal -- a great time saver. Thanks for the recipe!

Hi Bryanna !I baked the rolls yesterday night but I think I did something wrong.

First the dough was almost impossible to handle so I had to add flour ...But the weirdest thing was the over-fermented smell that came from the raw dough.Nonetheless, I tried to bake it but the taste was very sour.The entire recipe ended in the garbage bin :(

I thought that maybe it was a yeast problem ? I've used instant yeast in the same proportion as stated, but I believed for no-knead bread we should lessen the amount.

That is very strange, Flo! As you can see above, one reader made them and they came out well, and I have made them several times. The only thing I can think of is that there was some organism in your flour that might have caused it to be sour and runny. (The no-knead dough IS softer than a kneaded dough, though, but you should be able to scoop it up and form it with a little flouring, and if it's cold it's easier to handle.) I can't see anything being wrong with modern dry yeast. I have had souring of no-knead dough, but only after about 2 weeks in the fridge! BTW, I sometimes use a lesser amount of yeast if the dough is going to rise for a long time on the counter, but this one only rises for 1 hour outside the fridge, so the amount of yeast is fine.

Anyway, maybe try it with all your utensils and bowls scalded (just to be sure) and a newly-bought batch of flour?

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